


Path of Dappled Light

by Alaena_F_Dragonstar



Category: Magic Kaito, 名探偵コナン | Detective Conan | Case Closed
Genre: Action/Adventure, Crimes & Criminals, Established Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Memory Loss, Mystery, Post-Black Organization Takedown (Meitantei Conan), Post-Conan Kudou Shinichi, Rescue Missions, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-06
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-12 08:54:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29882127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alaena_F_Dragonstar/pseuds/Alaena_F_Dragonstar
Summary: A case turned trap lands Shinichi in a remote, mountain village with no memories. Now it's a race between his friends and his enemies to see who can find him first. Established KaiShin
Relationships: Kudou Shinichi | Edogawa Conan/Kuroba Kaito | Kaitou Kid
Kudos: 18





	1. The Crumbling Bridge

**Author's Note:**

> The complete story is already available on my FF.Net account [here](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8909988/1/Path-of-Dappled-Light).

The crunch of dry leaves and twigs echoed through the stillness of the forest. Night had long since draped its tender wings over the world but where the usual chirps and hums of nocturnal life were meant to be today there was nothing but breathless silence. Only the boy whose footsteps pounded over layers of dry foliage moved in the forest tonight. Him and the shadow that darted between the trees several hundred yards behind him.

There was a flash and a crack and Kudo Shinichi ducked as something whizzed through the air where his head had been. A low hanging branch in the distance exploded in a shower of splinters and leaves. A second shot rang out and the rest of the branch came crashing down, forcing Shinichi to dodge around it. He barely felt the sharp twigs and splinters of wood that scraped past his face; too busy searching for the next open path. The part of his mind that wasn't fixated on running noted that if he didn't shake off his pursuer soon he wouldn't be getting away at all. His lungs and legs were burning and he was starting to feel as though he just couldn't get enough oxygen. Of course he had been running since the sun had started setting so that was no surprise. The scrapes and bruises he'd collected during the narrow escape from his car weren't helping. If he really thought about it he would be surprised that he'd been able to keep ahead of his pursuer for so long, but he didn't have the spare energy to marvel at that miracle right now.

He was going to be in pain in the morning, but that would be all right as long as there was a morning.

Another shot just barely grazed his shoulder and he thanked the night for its concealing darkness. Whoever was back there obviously had good aim if they could run and shoot in this abysmal lighting and still be almost on the mark. Not that that was a particularly encouraging realization.

Ahead of him the trees thinned and he could just barely make out the distant sound of rushing water. Judging from the resonance the stream or river was probably at the bottom of some kind of ravine, which meant he'd either have to pick a new direction or hope like hell that there was a bridge.

Opting to keep on his forward path, he squinted in the vain hopes of seeing what lay ahead. For once, it seemed he'd gotten lucky. There, just barely visible, was the outline of two wooden posts set roughly five feet apart. The bridge itself was little more than a blacker shadow in the night, but it looked solid and he wasn't going to be too picky right now. If there was a bridge, that meant someone had built it, and if someone had built it, then there must be people—or at least a path—nearby.

The ground near his feet exploded in a spray of dirt and twigs. Gritting his teeth, Shinichi dove for the bridge. Wooden planks and old ropes groaned at the sudden weight and he groaned with them inwardly. That did not sound good at all. Even as the thought crossed his mind his entire body lurched as the wood gave way beneath his feet.

His last coherent thought as he fell was that at least he wasn't going to be shot.

Oh joy.

X

Everything hurt, but the worst part was he couldn't seem to breathe. Bolting upright despite the screaming protests from what felt like every muscle in his body he half choked, half coughed up the water that had been suffocating him. Someone was rubbing his back as they supported him, but he couldn't make out what they were saying through the coughing and the pounding headache that was growing rapidly more painful as the immediate fear of suffocation ebbed with each gasping breath. Once the coughing had subsided a little he made an effort to pry his eyes open. He succeeded only to regret it as the bright sunlight sent renewed stabs of pain through his head. Groaning, he squeezed his eyes shut again. It helped, but only barely.

In the brief moment of light he had managed to catch sight of the people who were now trying to help him up. There were two of them, one man and one woman, but his vision had been too blurry to make out any more defining features.

Two pairs of hands took him carefully by the arms and he was lifted to his feet. The world spun and tilted with the movement despite the fact that he kept his eyes tightly shut and he couldn't hold back the nauseated groan that forced its way past his throat. Concerned voices were speaking over his bowed head but he couldn't make them out through the roaring in his ears. It felt like the sky was falling—or maybe it was the earth that had decided to learn from the sea and begin undulating in sickening waves. He was more than relieved when the darkness closed over him again.

The next time he woke everything still hurt but he could breathe much more easily and his head didn't feel like it was splitting open anymore. He appeared to be lying on something soft, so he wasn't wherever it was he had been the last time he'd woken. He debated with himself for a moment over the wisdom of opening his eyes before deciding to take the risk. Several seconds of arguing with his reluctant eyelids later he managed to crack them open just enough to see a ceiling over his head. So he wasn't outside anymore and shouldn't have to worry about being stabbed in the eyes by overly bright sunlight. But then where was he? Opening his eyes all the way, he turned his head to examine his surroundings.

The room was small and plain but clean and obviously well kept. The only furniture he could see was the low cot he was lying on, a table, and one chair. Everything had been crafted of slightly worn wood. There was a window in one wall, but the curtains were closed so that only the thinnest strips of light could be seen around the edges, giving the room a dim but warm glow. Part of him noted how odd it was that there were no lamps or lights of any kind, then he wondered why it was so odd.

He was just turning that thought over for closer inspection when the door in the wall opposite the cot opened and in walked a young woman with a long, black braid dressed in clothes that that same voice that had noted how odd the lack of electric lights was told him were handmade. She paused in the doorway when their eyes met, apparently surprised to find him awake, then she smiled and came all the way in.

"How are you feeling?" she inquired, moving to set the tray she had been carrying on the table.

He considered the question for a moment. Every muscle in his body was aching and his head still felt like someone was drumming on the inside, but he could breathe freely and the aches and pains were marginally better than how he recalled them being before.

"Better," he said finally, his voice rasping out through a throat he only just realized had acquired desert-like qualities some time while he was unconscious. "Where…?"

The woman poured water into one of the wooden cups on her tray and came to stand beside the cot. "My brother and I found you in the river yesterday morning. You are very fortunate, but I fear your injuries may take a while to heal. This is our house. We don't get many visitors around here, but you are welcome to stay as long as you need to. Here." Reaching over, she carefully helped him into a sitting position and handed him the water which he took with a grateful sigh.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." She smiled, refilling the water in his emptied cup. "My name is Kita Mizumi. And you are?"

He opened his mouth then paused, a sudden chill racing down his spine. "I—I don't know…"


	2. Unwritten Calling Cards

Kuroba Kaito was frowning. That in itself would have been enough to put anyone who knew him on edge. The magician never frowned—not like this, like he really meant it. That wasn't to say that he never got upset, he was human after all, but he usually preferred to keep such pieces of information to himself. He certainly had the skills to do so. But there was no one around at the moment to see his slip and at this point he didn't particularly care.

Something was wrong.

He was currently sitting in the Kudo Manor's library. He had let himself in about an hour ago, searched the house from top to bottom, and come up empty. There was no one in the house. Of course, he knew that Shinichi had gone on a case, but he had been scheduled to be back three days ago.

Shinichi was a very punctual person by nature, but he also attracted trouble like there was no tomorrow. So it wasn't all that unusual for him to be late. Trips out of Beika often wound up lasting a day or two beyond schedule. But to be three whole days late was unusual even for him. To be three days late and not have told anyone he'd be delayed was unheard of, if only because Shinichi was the kind of person who needed to know that the people close to him could contact him if they were in trouble. For none of them to have heard a word meant that something had to be wrong.

There were times when he kept quiet out of necessity, but even then Kaito always heard from him. It was an arrangement that had started when they had first began working together against the Black Organization. Back then it was imperative that they both knew if anything had happened or was going on as soon as possible because every second could mean the difference between success and failure. Silence had always meant the worst.

Habits born of paranoia—especially logical paranoia—didn't fade with either speed or grace.

Pulling a cell phone from what appeared to be thin air, he dialed Shinichi's number for the umpteenth time that day. Again, he was greeted with the message saying that the number in question was out of service. Letting out a frustrated breath, he called a different number. This one was picked up on the second ring.

"Hello?" the voice on the other end inquired, sounding slightly distracted.

"Hattori-kun, do you have a moment?"

"Kuroba?" the Osakan asked, surprised. Shinichi had introduced him to the magician shortly before their final strike against the B.O. and they got along fairly well, but they didn't generally have much to do with one another. "Uh, I'm kinda in the middle of a case at the moment—"

"Have you heard from Shinichi?" Kaito cut in, allowing a hint of his unease to creep into his voice.

The noises in the background on the other end of the phone faded as Hattori, apparently getting the hint, moved to find a more secluded spot. "Not since he left for his case. Why?"

"He hasn't come back yet."

"What? But it's been almost a week! Did he say anything about another case or something? I mean, from what he told me the case he was going to didn't seem like it'd be all that tough. It was a private request right?"

"Yes, from a recluse in the mountains. His phone seems to be out of reach."

Hattori was silent for a long moment. "I'll see what I can find out, but I'm not sure what I can do from here. Once this case is wrapped up I'll catch the next train over."

Once that conversation was over, Kaito debated with himself for a moment before slipping out of the Kudo Manor and setting a course for the library near his home where he knew his best friend Aoko was studying with Hakuba Saguru. It was rather ironic, he mused, laughing to himself, that he was now actively tracking down and/or contacting not one but multiple detectives in one day. What was the world coming to? Then again, he was nothing if not good at making use of all his resources.

He knew that Hakuba had been keeping up with Shinichi's exploits in the news ever since that serial murder case the two detectives had worked together on. That case had been particularly bad for Shinichi, Kaito recalled. The fact that the killer had managed to get to so many victims before the detective could get to him had left a deep impression on Shinichi. Every new victim had seen him growing more and more frustrated and determined. In some ways Kaito thought the detective felt himself responsible for the deaths he hadn't been in time to prevent. Perhaps Shinichi had become too accustomed to being the one who was supposed to have all the answers. Even after the case had been closed Shinichi had spent weeks drowning himself in work to the point where Kaito had been tempted to put his custom made knockout gas to use just so the detective would rest. It had taken Kaito, Ran, Hattori, Kazuha, a (slightly forced) trip to a lakeside retreat, and several long talks to drag him out of his depression.

Shaking his head at the recollection, the magician slipped a broad, carefree grin onto his face and pushed open the library doors.

He found his quarry in a study room located by the history section of the library. Announcing his presence with a flash and a shower of confetti, he popped up behind Aoko and covered her eyes.

"Guess who!" he singsonged right into her ear.

"Kaito!" she shrieked, jerking around in her seat and taking a swing at him with the rather hefty history textbook she'd been holding. He leapt back out of reach and laughed.

"And the prize goes to Nakamori Aoko! Congratulations! Let's have a round of applause!"

"We are in a library," Hakuba snapped from where he was seated across the table from the fuming girl. "Keep your voice down."

"What are you doing here anyway?" Aoko demanded, setting her book back on the table and giving Kaito a slightly suspicious look. "I thought you said you had work to do."

He shrugged, sliding into the empty chair beside hers. "Turns out I didn't have as much work as I thought."

She raised an eyebrow but seemed to accept the explanation. "Do you want to study with us then? I mean, the test is tomorrow after all."

"Nah. I've already done all the studying I need to for that," he replied, dismissing the suggestion with an airy wave. Then he grinned and snapped his fingers. A newspaper appeared and he spread it open with a cheery hum. "Carry on. Those books won't read themselves."

Aoko rolled her eyes but smiled as she returned to her reading. Hakuba on the other hand shot the magician a suspicious look. On an impulse he glanced sidelong at the study room window to check his own reflection in the glass for any abnormalities. He was more than a little surprised when he didn't find any.

The next fifteen minutes dragged by with each Ekoda student studying or reading his or her own book or newspaper. Eventually Kaito pulled a pencil out of his ear with a flourish and started on the crossword.

"Doesn't seem to be anything interesting happening lately," he commented as he started on the puzzle. "Though I see there's an article on you in here Hakuba. Had a lot of cases lately?"

The blonde gave a noncommittal snort without looking up from reviewing his notes. "Nothing out of the ordinary."

"Hmm, there doesn't seem to be much news on that Kudo detective everyone wouldn't stop writing about before though."

A frown ghosted across Hakuba's face and Kaito smiled inwardly. "I believe he was called out to the mountains, but no one seems to know much about it."

"Really?" Kaito asked, feigning disinterest as he filled in the next piece of the crossword. "Isn't he working with the police?"

"Not that I've heard."

Well, that was slightly worrying, the magician mused. Hakuba had a lot of connections in the police—and unlike Hattori, who lived in Osaka, said connections included several Beika officers. Shinichi's cases almost always wound up involving the police, whether or not they started that way, so the fact that the police didn't know about his purpose in the mountains meant either that the case was not of the dangerous or homicidal kind or he had been unable to call them. Knowing Shinichi, the latter was far more likely to be the case.

"Well, maybe he went undercover again," Aoko suggested, looking up from her book. "Like with that whole crime ring thing. My dad was talking about that. Apparently the police in Tokyo didn't know about it until the whole thing was almost over. Kudo-san was actually working with Interpol and stuff. I mean, if people like that wanted his help again they probably wouldn't want to spread it around."

"True," Hakuba consented. "However, if that were the case then they were sloppy about it since we do know where Kudo-san supposedly went and when he left."

"Oh…well, I guess it isn't any of our business anyway," Aoko sighed, gaze falling reluctantly back on the history textbook. "We've still got a lot of studying to do…"

Kaito finished his crossword and heaved an exaggerated sigh. "Aren't you two tired of studying? You've been here, what, since school let out? How 'bout we all go for ice cream?"

"Some of us need to study to do well," she snapped, sounding mildly affronted. "This next test's supposed to count for a fourth of our grade! And then we'll be having college entrance exams! You do remember that don't you?"

"Don't waste your breath," the blond detective advised. "If he doesn't want to study it's his future he's risking."

"Such a thoughtful friend you are," Kaito drawled, vanishing his newspaper and bounding to his feet. "Well, I for one don't want to voluntarily coop myself up in here just for some numbers on a sheet of paper. See you tomorrow!" Confident that he'd pressed the buttons he wanted to, he swept them a mocking bow and bounded from the room. And just for fun he dyed Hakuba's hair purple on his way out.

X

Hakuba had heard of Kudo Shinichi, of course. The boy was currently the most famous detective in Japan, and certainly the most well known detective of their generation in the world. But what had really caught the blonde's attention was that Kudo had been dubbed the modern day Sherlock Holmes. Being a Holmes enthusiast himself, he had been a little irritated at the idea that anyone would dare claim such a lofty title. If he were to be totally honest he was also a bit envious. He knew he was a good detective in his own right, so what was it about this Kudo that made everyone think so highly of him? With that question in mind, he had considered searching out the other detective, but by then the boy had disappeared and it wasn't until a few months ago that he had reappeared on the scenes. His return had been splashed over the newspapers. Apparently, he had spent his two years of absence taking down some kind of international criminal organization.

About two weeks after Kudo's return to the visible world Hakuba finally met the Beika detective in person while working on a serial killer case. The first thing he had noticed about the other detective had been that he bore an uncanny resemblance to a certain magician classmate who enjoyed making Hakuba's life a living hell. Thank god the differences far outweighed the similarities. He was sure he'd go insane if the world ever saw fit to produce a second Kuroba Kaito. The second thing he'd noticed was the almost frightening intensity in Kudo's gaze as he examined the crime scene. There was something weirdly familiar about that look, though he still couldn't place where he'd seen it before. The third thing he'd observed was that the other detective had had an odd tendency to start asking leading questions and prodding the other officers on the scene into making connections for themselves before offering observations of his own. Most of the rest of the time he had been oddly quiet, moving from one end of the scene to the next and occasionally running off somewhere before coming back with a thoughtful frown.

At that point Hakuba had turned his attention fully upon the case, unwilling to let himself be outdone. His experience with murder cases was, he knew, somewhat less expansive than that of his fellow teenage detective, but that didn't mean he was inexperienced. Far from it.

It had been a nasty case. Six victims in the span of only two weeks. The police had been in a panic, but the killer was sly and they hadn't even realized three of the cases were the same killer's work until halfway through the investigation. It was Kudo who finally cornered the murderer. Hakuba had arrived on the scene after figuring out for himself who and where the killer was likely to strike next just in time to see the man knocked unconscious by a soccer ball of all things (where Kudo had gotten a soccer ball Hakuba still had no idea). Kudo had also been injured (the would-be-victim later told them that he'd received the stab wound while shielding her), but he hadn't seemed to notice until Hakuba asked if he was all right.

Those two weeks of working with Kudo Shinichi had left Hakuba with two realizations. The first was that Kudo was, indeed, brilliant. He wasn't sure if he could admit the other detective deserved to be called the Heisei Holmes, but he wasn't a fool and he could admire genius when he saw it. The second thing he had realized however was that Kudo Shinichi was hiding something. What kind of thing that might be, he wasn't sure, but it had to do with the two years he had been missing. Of course, it wasn't any of his business, so he had filed away the realization and left it at that.

Now, however, things had changed. It was true that he hadn't seen Kudo in the papers lately, and considering how many murders his fellow detective tended to encounter that was a bit odd. He remembered hearing that Kudo had gone to the mountains for some reason, but the details were vague at best. Aoko's suggestion that perhaps Kudo was on another secret case was plausible, but didn't seem all that likely. The more he turned the scattered pieces of information over in his mind, the more Hakuba found himself wondering what the other detective was up to. He hated loose ends and unexplained happenings, and these bits of news reeked of both.

He found himself going back now and unearthing that file from his mental filing cabinets. The main question that caused this? How did Kuroba Kaito know Kudo Shinichi? Not, of course, that Kaito had really indicated that he knew the detective, but something about the encounter in the library made Hakuba wonder. Had Kaito mentioned Kudo purely by coincidence? Or had it been something else?

As far as he knew the two had never met. Or at least not as Kuroba and Kudo. He'd been in England at the time but he had heard tell from the KID Taskforce that Kudo had participated in a KID heist several years back. It was apparently the closest the elusive thief had ever come to being caught—Nakamori still griped about it whenever he was in a particularly foul temper with 'interfering brat detectives'. So if Hakuba was right and Kuroba was KID—which of course he was, he'd prove it just as soon as he got a hold of some proof—then they would have met once. Though from what he'd heard that encounter hadn't lasted long and Kudo hadn't participated in any more KID heists since then. The last heist had taken place shortly before Kudo's reappearance, so the two couldn't have met after that. So if the two really knew each other, the acquaintanceship must have been made during Kudo's two years of absence. The same two years he supposedly spent working on that difficult syndicate case.

And now Kudo had left again and no one had heard from him. Or at least that was what Hakuba had heard. He hadn't thought to inquire into the matter before so he wasn't entirely sure. Now though he was curious.

So when Aoko left the library to meet up with Akako for dinner, Hakuba packed his own things and headed for the police station.

**Author's Note:**

> I'll begin reviewing and re-posting the rest of this story after I finish the next chapter of A Curse Marked Fate. If you would like to read the rest of the story now instead of waiting, you can find the whole thing on FF.Net now (link in opening notes). Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed. Take care!


End file.
